Derrick structure



. 4, 1945- w. B. WOODY ET AL DERRICK STRUCTURE Original Filed April .15

, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS w, a. wooov M. s. scorr 27 J I ATTORNEY .4, 1945. w. B. WOODY. EII'AL DERRICK STRUCTURE Original Filed April 15, 1942 3 SheetsSheet 2.

- 4, 1945- w. B. WOODY ETAL DERRICK STRUCTURE Original Filed April 15, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VENTORS W. B. WOODY. M. 6. $60 TT ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1945 UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE Okla, assignors poration, Tulsa, homa Original application 439,056. Divided an 14, 1944,

4 Claims.

This is a division of application Serial Number 439,056, filed April 15, 1942, now Patent No. 2,358,755 granted Sept..l9, 1944.

This invention relates to improvementsinderrick structures of the conventional portable type having a working or pipe racking platform of the foldable type normally employedtherewith, and particularly to animproved hinge structure for connecting such platforms with such derrick Structures. i 4

In the construction, operation and use of portabletype derrick masts, now in wide use in oil-fields, it is especially desirable that all the to Franks Manufacturing Cor- 0kla., a corporation of Okla- April 15, 1942, Serial No.

(1 this application August Serial No. 549,414

elements of the mast and the various appurtenant appliances be so arranged and connected as to be quickly and easily} set up and taken down, to form a compact structure, which maybe trans-. ported from place to place on trucks operating over standard highways.

To meet this requirement, it is now the practice to hingedly connect platforms, such as the conventional pipe racking platforms, to the mast structure so that such platforms may be compactly folded against the mast when not in use. By using a hinged connection, it is not necessary to dis-assemble the platformirom the rest of. the mast structure, when it is out of use or when the mast is to be lowered for transporting to another location. This arrangement has the im portant disadvantage, among others, that the elevational position of the platform on the mast is necessarily fixed, and in order to change the relative elevation of the platform it must be removed irom the mast and moved to the desired elevation. In, ordinary well drilling operations, it is frequently desirable to change the elevation of the pipe racking platform for the purposesof safety and convenience of workmen standing on the platform. The elevation of the platform is generally determined by the length of thepipe sections being run in and out of the well, it being desirable that the upper end of each pipe section extend above the platform, to a heightwhich is particularly adapted for the convenience of and safe handling by the workmen. Commercial standards for the lengths of drill pipe and tubing sections permit substantial variations of from four to eight feet in the length of each section, depending upon the particular classification of the pipe. Thus, a string of pipe employed in one case may be made up of sections of substantially greater or lesser length than those employed in another operation with the. same. mast structure. With the working platform f xed at anelevation suitable for the proper handling of the pipe in. one case, the elevation will be incon venient and unsafe for the handling otthepipe in the other case and it becomes necessary to change the, elevation of th e working platform acc rd n A principal objectinaccordance with this invention, is to provide an improved form of. hinge structure whereby the elevation of a working platform on a mast may be varied while retain; ing the hinged connection of the platform to the mast at any elevation, and without bodily, dis connecting the platform from themast. V

, Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following de-, tailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate use-J ful embodiments in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 1 is aside elevation of a mast andplatform assembly employing a hinge structure in accordance with, one embodiment offth is invert} tion; '1 1 i 0 Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the platformand mast assembly of Fig. 1, showing an enlarged view of" the details of the hinge structure more generally illustratedin, Fig. l; I t

Fig. 3 is a side elevation in enlarged cletail of the embodiment of Fig. 1;

Fig. i is 'a'plan View of V Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of one side of the structure of Fig. 3al0ng line 5-5 and looking toward the frontof ,thefstructure;

Fig. 6 isa VlEW. similar to Fig.5 but having a section cut therethroughlalong line B,-6 of Fig, 3;

Fig. '1 is aperspective view; partly in' section, showing theoetai s of the hinge structure of Figs..1to6;

Fig. 8 is aside elevation in enlargeddetail of another embodiment of a hinge structure in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 9 is a plan view or the F g. 10,is a rear structure orr'igqs; elevational view of one side of the; structure oflT'ig. 8 taken generally along line \l -I01thereof; V 3 p Fig. ii is asectionalelevation taken alongline illi of Fig. 8; and

Fig- 12 is a perspective view, partly insection, showing the details of the hingestructure of Figs. 8 to 11.

numeral 2,whioh.rnay;be a working platformor the structure of Reierring to the drawings and to Fig.1 in pararms l The supports for rails a pipe racking platform of any suitable or conventional type. Platform 2 is hingedly connected to the front of the mast by means of a hinge structure indicated generally by the numeral 3, which isadapted to be movable with the platform vertically along the mast while maintaining the hinged connection of the platform with the mast. rig hoisting mechanism (not shown) over a pulley 5, mounted on the crown of the mast; and is connected by means of a suitably formed bridle 6 to platform 2 and hinge structure 3, for the purpose of changing the elevation of the plat: form on the mast or of folding the platform against the mast. w Derrick mast l is of the conventional openfront type having a pair of front corner posts l'! and a pair of rear corner posts 88 arranged to form the corners of a structure which is generally rectangular in cross-section. Rear corner posts 8-8 are connected to each other arid to front corner posts 1-1 by means of suitable gifts 9 and braces l 0. 7 7

Platform 2 consists of a conventional U-sh'aped frame formed of spaced parallel side members llll connected together at the forward ends by an end member 12. The frame encloses a platform area including the usual floored sections l3|3 and open working section I4 to perrhit free movement thereth'roiigh of the usual hoisting fnechanism and pipe (notshown) and pipe racking area |5-|5ror the reception of the p ipe being handled. The usual guard fails I 6-46 are mounted on the frame and enclose the platform area in the usual manner for the protection of men'workingon the platform.

Hinge structure 3, in accordance with the embodiment illustrated-in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, coinprises a pair of hinge arms, designated generally by the numeral l1, each constructed of a pair of hinge plates I 8; spaced apart and set on edge, whic-hlare rigidly attached along their lower edges to the free ends of side members ll of the platform fr ame. A pair of laterally spaced parallel rails, designated generally by the numerals Ni 19, are positioned between corner posts 17 and are vertically supported from the mast l in general alignment with the inner edgesof hinge l9l9 consist of a'pair of upright members -26 spaced r'ear- Wardly from rails 19-49 and aligned therewith and supported between upper and lower crossmembers 2| and 22, respectively which extend horizontally across the mast between suitably positioned side girts 9. Each of rails l I is rigidly connected to a corresponding upright member 211 by means of a plurality of vertically spaced tie plates 23 which extend from the rear faces of the rail to the upright members 20. Each of the rails T9 is formed from a pair of channel iron members 24, the channels of which face toward each other, the edgeflanges extending at right angles to the planes of hinge arms I]. The inner edges of the hinge arms extend into the channels of members 24 between the flanges thereof. The upper portion of the inner edge of each hinge arm carries a sleeve 25 extending transversely thereof and provided with an axial bore '26 adapted to register with journal openings 21-2! provided in the webs of a registering pair of channel members 24. Aplurality or such pairs of jol'i'ihal openings '21 are provided "at vertically spaced "points along each or the channel members, a removable pivot pin 28 extends through the bore 26 and a pair of the iourn'al'openings 21 A cable 4 leads from the usual drilling are connected to pins 33 and loops 34.

to complete the pivoted connection of each hinge arm to the corresponding rail l9. Sleeve 25 has end portions of reduced diameter adjacent the contiguous channel member 24 to form axles 2929 fora pair of rollers 39-30 which are freely revolvable thereon and are held in place by the webs of the channel members. Rollers 30 are adapted to bear on the inner faces of the flanges of channel members 24. .A pair of idler rollers 3' l'3l, carried on a. haft 32 which extends through the pair of plates l8|8 forming each hinge arm, are positioned on opposite sides of the hinge arm and are arranged to bear on the outer faces of the front edge flanges of channel members 24. A pin 33 extends transversely through each pair of plates l8-|8 and provides a means for connecting a strand of bridle 6 thereto.

In operation, when it i desired merely to fold the platform inwardly against the mast, the forwardstrands of bridle 6 are connected to loops 34 positioned at intermediate points along side members ll of the platform and a pulling force is applied to cable 4. The platform will swing upwardly and inwardly toward the mast about pivot pin 28 as an-axis. When it is desired to change the elevation of the platform, the bridle strands Pivot pins 28 are withdrawn from rails l9 and sleeves 25. A pulling force applied to cable 4 will now lift the platform bodily, hinge arms l1 moving upwardly between channel members 24. Since rollers 30 are confined within the channels, the platform is not detached from the mast, and rollers 30; together with idler rollers 3|, which bear on opposite sides of the edge flanges, Will render the up- Ward movement of the platform relatively frictionless. Whensleeve 2"5 has attained a position registering with the pair of journal openings 21-21 at the elevation desired, pivot pin 28 is reinserted, the bridle released, and the platform is readyfor servicein the new elevation.

Figs. '8to 12, inclusive, illustrate another embodiment in accordance with this invention. In this embodiment, the channel iron members'a'l of rails is are placed back to-back with the channels thereof facing in opposite directions. other respects'theserails are similar to those of the previous embodiments, having vertically spaced journal openings '21, and being supported from the mast in the same manner as reviously described.

Eachhinge arm 'l! is formed by a pair of spaced arallel generally triangularly shaped plates 35-35, the inner edgesof which extend over the outer 'sitlesof members, enclosin the channel therein. The upper endsiof plates 35-35 carry a pair ofrollers 36-3t which are mounted torch in the channels of members 24. These rollers are mounted on hollow trunnions 3i-3l'which extendinwardly from the exterior of plates 35- 35 into the channel's. 'Afi'ockin-g' pin 38 is removably inserted through the lyore of trunnion-s3l31 and registering journal openings lock the hinge armsto the rail. Since rollers 36- 36 are mounte on the trunnion's, which are fixed in place "in the hinge plates, they retain their osition when locking pin 38 is withdrawn. Ase'cbnd'pa'ir of rollers 3939 are mounted on a second pair of trunhions 4046, carried by the lower ends of plates '35-35 and are also arranged to roll the channels and to lock the lower'en'ds of plates 35 35 to'the channel members. forward portions of plates 35- 35 are pivot-ally connected to the ends of side'members H of platform "2 by means of pivot pins rt-41 which ex- 21 in members 2 3' to i tend transversely through the plates 3535 and the ends of side members ll. Plates 35-35 are provided with the pin 33 for attachment of bridle 6.

In the operation of this embodiment, when it is desired to change the elevation of platform 2, bridle B is attached to loops 34 and pins 33. Locking pins 38 are Withdrawn, and the Platform moves along rails 19 on rollers 36 and 39 under the control of cable 6. When rollers 36 reach a position opposite the journal openings 21 at the desired elevation, locking pins 38 are re-inserted through trunnions 31, rollers 36 and these openings 21 and the platform is locked in its new position. The hinged connection of platform 2 to hinge plates 35 by means of Pivot pins M permits the platform to be folded toward the mast by pull applied to loops 34 through bridle 6 and cable 4. With this embodiment also, it will be seen that the elevaton of platform 2 may be varied without disconnect ng the platform from the mast, and without affecting the ability to fold the platform toward the mast at any elevation.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of this invention within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a derrick structure mounted thereon to swing generally between horizontal and vertical positions, an improved hinge structure for connecting said platform to said derrick structure comprising, spaced rails vertically supported from said derrick structure, said rails having spaced edge flanges extending longitudinally thereof formin guide channels in said rails, a plurality of longitudinally spaced journals positioned along said channels, hinge arms extending from the sides of said platform toward said channels, pairs of vertically spaced rollers carried by said hinge arms and rollably disposed in said channels, a pivoted connection between said hinge arms and the sides of said platform, and removable locking members having a platform a pair of laterally extending through one of the rollers of each pair and a selected one of said journals along each of said channels.

2. In a derrick structure having a platform mounted thereon to swing betweengenerally horizontal and vertical positions, an improved hinge structure for connecting said platform to said derrick structure comprising, a pair of laterally spaced rails vertically supported from said derrick structure, hinge arms carrying roller members rollably connecting said hinge arms to said rails, a pivoted connection between said platform and said hinge arms, and removable locking members adapted to extend through said rollers and said rails to lock said hinge arms to longitudinally spaced points along saidrails.

3. In a derrick structure having a platform mounted thereon to swing between generally horiz-ontal and vertical positions, an improved hinge structure for connecting said platform to said derrick structure comprising, a pair of laterally spaced rails vertically supported fro-m said derrick structure, triangular-shaped hinge arms carrying vertically spaced pairs of rollers adapted to provide a maintained longitudinally movable connection with said rails, a pivoted connection be twegi said platform and the hinge arms, and remfivable locking members extending through said rollers and said rails for locking said hinge arms to longitudinally spaced points along said rails.

4. In a derrick, structure having a platform mounted thereon to swing between generally horizontal and vertical positions, an improved hinge structure for connecting said platform to said derrick structure comprising, a pair of laterally spaced rails vertically supported from said derrick structure, hinge arms having a pivoted connection to said platform and carrying roller members providing a rollable connection to said rails, and removable locking members extending through said roller members and said rails for locking said platform at vertically spaced positions along said rails.

WAYLAND B. WOODY. MERLE G. SCOTT. 

